“Are you glad to see us, kids?” Kerry knelt and gave Chino a hug. “Did you take care of the little man today, Chi?”
“Growf.” Chino wagged her tail gently.
“Time for dinner.” Kerry stood up and moved towards the kitchen, picking up the mail on the dining room table and sorting through it as she walked. She put the stack down and went to the cupboard, taking out two portions of dog food and retrieving a mixture of chopped beef and chicken from the refrigerator.
“Yap! Yap yap!” Mocha hopped up and down at her feet, his front paws scrabbling at her kneecap. “Yap!”
“Yes, I can see you’re hungry.” Kerry assembled the meal and put it down, getting back hastily out of the way as the two dogs hoovered the contents as though they were being chased down by wolves threatening to take it away from them. ‘Take it easy, guys.”
Dar wandered in behind her and draped her arms over Kerry’s shoulders. “I turned off my phone.” She said. “I think we should just move on. Let’s go to DC tomorrow, and just leave ILS behind.”
It sounded good. “I’m all for that hon. I just hope ILS doesn’t chase after us given our mutual customers.” Kerry enjoyed the warmth surrounding her. “You want some tea?”
“Sure.” Dar said. “I’m going to go change and chill out. “ She gave Kerry a squeeze, then released her and stepped over the dogs, busy licking their dishes clean. “Like little vacuum cleaners.”
“Growf.” Chino left her empty dish and went to the dog door , bustling through it as Mocha first made sure she hadn’t left any food behind, then chased after her, yelping as the door flap swung back and nearly knocked him over.
Kerry chuckled and went to the door. “I’m going to stretch out a little.” She opened the door and went out onto the landing, watching the dogs bolt down the steps and into the cozily lit garden. “Nice night.”
It was clear overhead and the stars were vivid against the darkness. Kerry went down the steps and walked over to the seating area, going into the work space and putting water on to heat.
She could have done it inside, of course, but there was something sweet in the air that made her want to savor the night, and she got out the small tea set she kept in the outdoor cupboard as she hummed softly under her breath.
“Yap!”
Kerry glanced over her shoulder, giving the dogs an indulgent smile as they chased each other in a circle. She set the pot on the burner and stepped to one side, reaching up and grasping the chinning bar Dar had installed there and letting her back stretch out.
It felt good, easing muscles that were cramped from too much sitting around during the whole of the long day. She slowly let her knees unlock and relax, taking her weight on her firmly gripped hands and feeling her shoulders rotate and pop into place. “Ah.”
Chino spotted her and paused, then picked up a sadly bedraggled stuffed lamb and came racing over.
Kerry pulled herself up, getting her feet under her as she was nearly knocked off them. “Hey!”
“Growf!” Chino pushed the sodden toy into her thigh.
“Yuk.” Kerry took it and tossed it across the garden, then retreated back to the little outdoor stove to measure out some dried green tea leaves and added a handful of mint leaves along with it into the ceramic teapot.
“C’mere.”
Dar’s voice echoed softly over the garden, along with the rasp and scuff as she trotted down the steps. “Give me that.”
Kerry smiled, as she poured the heated water over the leaves, then set the top on to let the herbs steep. There was something charming and old fashioned about the beverage, and she enjoyed mixing the tea leaves with other things to mix it up a little.
“Got orange peel in there this time?” Dar cocked her arm and tossed the ragged lamb. “I brought out the cookies.”
“Mint this time.” Kerry left the pot alone and went over to the bar again, gripping it and steeling herself for the effort of doing a chin up. She paused a moment then lifted herself off the ground, and letting her legs relax.
“Nice.” Dar sprawled in the canvas bucket chair, watching her. She took the lamb Chino had just tossed onto her stomach and threw it again. “You’re getting better at that.”
Kerry managed a grin as she got through a couple more of the exercises, feeling the burn in her arms. “Thanks honey.”
“And you look sexy doing it.”
“Dar, no one looks sexy doing pull ups.” Kerry let herself down and released the bar, shaking out her hands. “At best, you don’t look like a wuss.”
Dar chuckled. “When I was in school they always tried to make me use the girl’s bars.” She related. “Idiotic.”
“Cause you were too butch?” Kerry leaned over the chair and gave her a kiss on the head.
“No. I was nearly six feet tall at the time. The bar was only a foot over my head.” Her partner said. “I could hop and get my chin over it. I finally just started using the guys high bar.”
“And your gym instructors didn’t realize this? Where did they park their guide dogs?” Kerry asked. “Or were they just oblivious?”
“I was a smart ass. They didn’t like me.”
“That’s my favorite part of you.” Kerry grabbed the lamb and sent it flying. “Their loss.” She went over to the table and retrieved the teapot, pouring out two cups and adding honey to them. Then she came back over to where Dar was sitting and set the tray down. “Of course, I never got the chance to try that in high school. We did do the uneven bars when I messed with gymnastics though.”
“Bet you were cute.” Dar picked up her tea and blew cautiously on it, then sipped.
“Bet I was a complete dork, and I have pictures to prove it.” Kerry disagreed. “I think I hold my school record for falling flat on my butt or worse on my head.” She handed Dar a cookie and took one, then sat down and leaned back as the dogs came trotting over. “Ah, the cookie monsters heard us chewing.”
Dar broke off a bit of her cookie and offered it to Chino. “Want to turn on the news?”
“Nope.”
“Me either. Turned off the phone, and I’m just going to enjoy the rest of our night.”
Kerry lifted her tea cup and they touched edges with a soft clash of crockery. “Sounds good to me.”
**
Kerry tapped her boxing gloves together and paused, then edged around and started punching the heavy hanging bag in front of her from a slightly different angle.
It was midmorning, and she was thoroughly soaked in sweat, but satisfied with her efforts so far, feeling a deep burn in her shoulders as she pounded the bag’s surface.
Dar was doing bench presses nearby, flat on her back on the pressing bench, steadily lifting a bar in an easy rhythm up from her chest.
Kerry moved around to get a better look, and amused herself by watching the play of the light on her partner’s near bare body, admiring the sculpted shape as she studiously exercised.
A moment later the swinging back swung a little further than she’d expected and whomped her backwards, making her rock back off her feet and land on her butt , arms flailing. “Whoa!!!” She yelped. “Ouch!”
“Hey.” Dar racked her weight bar and got up, scooting over to where Kerry was now flat on her back, knees hiked up and one arm over her eyes as she laughed silently. “You okay?” She went down to one knee and put her hand on Kerry’s stomach. “Ker?”
“Hahahahahahahaha..” Kerry chortled softly. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She wiped the sweat from her eyes. “Serves me right for lusting after you in public.”
“Huh?” Dar sat down next to her. “When were you doing that? “ She glanced around, but the gym was empty save the two of them. She reached over and smoothed the sweat dampened hair form Kerry’s eyes and watched them close briefly, then open again.